Robert Hamrick
Real Name: Robert Hamrick Nicknames: Bob, Bobby Location: Rock Creek, Ohio Date: March 10, 1970 Case Details: During the late sixties, the village of Rock Creek, Ohio, was being terrorized by a gang of "red-neck" thugs. They were involved in fights and threats against the town's citizens. They even threatened the town's police chiefs; two quit as a result. In July 1969, Robert Hamrick was hired as the new Chief of Police, and he was determined to put an end to the gang's activities. Robert was soon the target of harassment directed at him and his family. Five months later, he investigated an abandoned building which held a Corvette that had been stolen from Cleveland. During a raid, several gang members were arrested and then released on bail. His family continued to receive threats from the gang members. On March 10, 1970, Robert was in pursuit of a speeding car when radio contact was suddenly lost. An hour later, a search began for him. Four hours later, he was found mortally wounded in his car, which had collided with a tree. At first, it appeared that he had accidentally gone off the road while in pursuit of the other car. However, the investigating deputies soon found evidence of foul play. Blood was found covering the back seat. His service revolver and night stick were missing. The car's ignition and light switch were in the "off" position. It seemed unlikely that he would turn these off, but not call for help. On March 20, ten days after the "accident", Robert died from his injuries without ever regaining consciousness. Despite the evidence, his death was ruled "accidental" and his injuries were attributed to the crash (the entire left half of his skull was crushed, from front to back, and yet, no glass was broken on the car). His family, friends, and fellow officers believe that he was murdered and that his death was covered up. Some suspected that he had been beaten with his baton after the crash, although the evidence was inconclusive. Six hours after the crash, the car that Robert had been chasing was found at a local gas station. It was splattered in mud and had a damaged tire. The owner stated that she had taken the car in for repairs the previous day. She also stated that the car was clean when she dropped it off. One of the station employees was known to be a member of the Rock Creek Gang. One woman claimed that she had overheard several gang members bragging about killing Robert. No one has ever been arrested in connection to Robert Hamrick's death, though the names and locations of the suspects were available. The suspects admit being chased by Hamrick, but claim that they eluded him and knew nothing of his accident. Suspects: The members of the "Rock Creek Gang" are considered prime suspects in Robert's death. In the weeks prior to his death, he and his family had been receiving death threats from members of the gang. It is believed that the occupants of the vehicle he was chasing on the night of the "accident" were directly responsible. The car was believed to have been stolen from a gas station where one of the gang members was employed. After Robert's death, a woman came forward, claiming that she had heard several of the gang members bragging about killing him. According to the woman, the gang members set Robert up, brought him to the secluded area and caused him to crash his car. They then took him out of his car and beat him over the head with his own night stick. After severely wounding him, they put him back in his car and left him to die. Extra Notes: This segment originally aired on the November 20, 1991 episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Results: Unsolved. On the Ohio Attorney General's website, Robert's death is listed as "unsolved homicide" instead of "accident". However, it is not known if the case is still actively being investigated. Links: * Robert's case on Unsolved.com * Officer Down Memorial Page * Robert's case at Ohio Attorney General * Rock Creek's Police Chief 'Critical' * Police Chief Dies Of Injury * Police chief's death an 'unsolved mystery' (Page 1) (Page 2) * Robert Hamrick at Find a Grave * Discussion thread on Robert's case ---- Category:Ohio Category:1970 Category:Murder Category:Suspicious Deaths Category:Officer-Involved Cases Category:Gang-Related Cases Category:Unsolved